My Trip to Leavenworth, Part 3

On this day we decided that Ron, Linda and Wilson would go in and I would stay out and go with the second set of visitors. We were warned early that Saturday’s are very busy and that there is a possibility that if we didn’t get their early we might not get in. This day is when the 2 hour limit would more than likely come into play. We pulled up to the waiting line around 6:20 or so and sat about the same place in line as the morning before. We were actually surprised their weren’t more visitors. Just wait. About 5 minutes after we pulled in there was a line out to the street. Once again at 7:30 CO Bellar came out and took our ID’s, we found a spot in the visitors parking lot and the wait began again. About 8:30 Bellar came down and took up the first set of visitors. The second set he said would go up at 11:00. So everyone that was down there and had been waiting would now have to wait until 11:00 before they knew if they could get in for that day. Thankfully, Ron, Linda and Wilson got in on that round and there were no worries. I was content to sit down in the parking lot under the awning and wait my turn. If I didn’t get a turn today that would be alright too, at least his parents got to see him. As I waited I noticed more and more people pulling up and asking “has he been down yet for the second group?” They all were seasoned on the visiting rules. As I sat there I got to talking to 2 different wives who were there to see their husbands. This was so educational. To hear what they go though as a spouse of an inmate and mother to children whose father is in the penitentiary was amazing. One lady had been waiting on her husband for more than 8 years. He received a mandatory 10 year sentence and had 2 year to go. She traveled approximately 2 hours each way to see her husband and said she makes the trip about twice a month. The other lady also comes approximately twice a month but travels 4 hours one way. Her husband also received the 10 year mandatory sentence and he has only been in for a year and three months. Both husbands were in for drug charges and apparently the new mandatory minimum is 10 years. The second lady had a new born and this was her first trip to the prison without her son. You can not believe the amount of children that come to that prison. Just about every group that came in had at least one child with them. I just don’t know if I could do that, that a child into that environment. We talked about how they felt bringing their children up here and they simply stated the kids want to see their Daddy and he wants to see his kids. Someone else mentioned that as harsh as this environment may be it might be better than how they saw their Fathers prior. My question is do small kids realize that is their Daddy or is this a guy they come visit every other week? As I said I understand the dilemma these Mother’s are in but I am just not sure what I would do in that situation.

It was amazing talking to them and they were so open about their lives and how they revolved around the prison system. How they would travel from state to state depending on where their husband was transferred. They would describe phone calls where their husband would say “who is that in the background?” “Where are you?” They would discuss everyday things just over the phone instead of in person. As the morning wore on more and more people emerged from the parking lot. They would see CO Bellar coming down the walkway and cars would empty and lines would form to hand in their ID’s hoping they would be next to get inside. Now it is 11:00 and it’s time for the second group to go inside. We make our trek up to the dome shaped entrance and start our paperwork. Since we had done all of this the previous morning we just needed to sign the waivers and go through the metal detectors and we were in. In a perfect world that would be the case, you go in as a group so you wait until everyone that is going in with you has been identified, signed in, and scanned before any gates open.
Linda and I switched out and I got to see Scott again. He was so excited because when they let me take Linda’s place the clock started over for him so he knew he would get at least another 2 hours worth of visitation.

We talked about his decision to go to California when he is released to the half way house. Frankly not many people think this is a good idea. Scott has a daughter in Cali and he feels like he owes it to her to try and make a relationship with her. She will be twenty one, I believe, when he is released to the half way house and frankly she wants to see her Dad. The flip side to that story is Cali is where he got in trouble, this is the breeding ground. Why doesn’t he come to Texas where he knows he has family and a strong support system until he is at least released from the government’s control. Not only does he have to spend the remainder of his sentence in the half way house then he is not allowed to leave the state for 2 years. His parents, brother and sister, would much rather him come here and start a life where he can be surrounded by people who can help him and not strangers.

I see the point his daughter makes and I guess because I am older I feel a bit differently. I would rather my Dad go to where he has the greatest chance of regaining a normal life. At this point I am an adult and can travel to visit him and when he is settled and in a routine he can come to visit me. I know that’s easy to say because it’s not my Dad and I haven’t been without him for 15 years. I certainly understand Scott’s point to want to make it work with her, that is his daughter. We all just hope it is the right decision because there is so much riding on it if it is not. If anything happens while he is at the half way house he goes back to the penitentiary until his final release date of June 31, 2010. That’s a large price to pay. I know it can happen anywhere and I’m not sure why we all think it’s more likely to happen out there than here. Just fear I guess.

Our trip was short and our time with Scott even shorter but I wouldn’t have traded it for the world.